THE UNTAMED LUNA

GETTING CLOSE TO MY TEACHER

I sat next to the grinning boys, suspecting they knew something was up. I struggled to focus as the teacher continued the lectured, pacing the classroom. His pointed advice lingered in my mind.

In my mind, he moves with a boldness and passion that perfectly syncs with the music's beat. There's a magnetic sensuality about him that draws everyone’s gaze. I often find myself daydreaming about tracing my fingers over his sculpted six-pack abs. If only I could be that lucky!

"Stop overthinking," a voice reminded me again. I think this is who I really am, someone with a wolf-like spirit to guide me.

"Okay..." I whispered in response.

The teacher commanded the room with an effortless grace and quiet power. As he passed by my desk, I caught a trace of his alluring scent and found myself momentarily distracted. I made a mental note to ask him later about his cologne. With some effort, I pulled my gaze away and took in the rest of the class room.

Some students listened attentively while others slyly checked their phones. A few seemed lost in daydreams, with dreamy, faraway looks on their faces. I hoped my own expression wasn't as ridiculous. Glancing over, then I caught Jade's eye. His silent laugh made me wonder, had he noticed my distraction? How embarrassing. I resolved to focus for the rest of the class.

Mr. Albanzo assigned the first two chapters for homework tonight. Then he said we could talk amongst ourselves while he completed some paperwork. I was so focused on staring at Mr. Albanzo that I didn't hear him call me up to his desk.

I hurriedly gathered my belongings off my desk and made my way to the front, catching a book before it fell. My face burned with embarrassment.

"You called me?" I asked, even though I knew he must have, since I was now standing before him.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could take this quiz. I reviewed your grades from your previous school and wanted to see if this class is at a lower level than what you've already covered," he said.

"Oh, that's okay, I enjoyed staying in this class," I quickly responded, worried that I might be moved out of his class if I did too well on the quiz.

"I don't want to move you to another class. This is the most advanced English course we have. I just thought maybe I could give you some projects that would challenge you a little more, if you were interested. According to your transcripts, you like a challenge." He corrected with a brilliantly smile and a dimple.

Why can't I control my reaction to him? I saw his smile get just a tiny bit wider.

"Oh, yes, I would like that very much. Thank you, Mr. Albanzo. " I said.

"Great, here is the quiz. It will also tell me what aspects of literature interest you the most, and we will focus primarily on them." he said, so I took the paper from him, wishing that my hand had brushed his hands, but sadly, he made sure it didn't.

Back at my desk, I started the quiz. Joel looked over my shoulder and gave me a questioning look.

"A quiz to see my aptitude level and interests." I told him.

“Oh, yeah, okay." He said. But why is he suspicious about that?

I answered all the questions. Some of them don't really apply to English or literature, as far as I can tell. Like, where would you most like to travel and why? What do you think are your strongest attributes? Weaknesses? Well, I suppose he is just trying to learn about my interests, as he said. It sounds a little like a job interview. I returned the quiz paper, and he didn't look at it. I'm disappointed. I was hoping I would get to review it with him or something.

"Maybe we can go over this at lunch." He suggests. My heart nearly beats out of my chest, and jump up a couple of megawatts.

"After you grab your lunch, feel free to invite the twins to join us here," he added quickly.

Even though he was being friendly, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that I tried to hide. It wasn't that I didn't like the guys; I just had hoped for a few moments alone with him. But honestly, what was I thinking? I’d probably struggle to string together a coherent sentence if it were just the two of us. So, I simply nodded and went back to my seat.

"Do you mind if we eat here today? While I'm finishing over my quiz?" I asked the twin.

"Sure, no problem. We eat here sometimes," Joel tells me calmly. I wonder why these students would choose to eat lunch here in the classroom.

"Don't worry, we will have plenty of time," Jade reassures me and just laughs. They seem to read my mind, aware of my impatience. Or maybe I'm just anxious to get out of the "lunch" line.

LUNCH TIME;

I grab utensils and a drink, and rushing back to my chair, at Mr Albanzo's room as soon as I get my food. The twins is in hurry to catch up to my rushed pace. I'm being utterly transparent. In the front row closest to his. Jade closes the door behind him as he and Joel sit down.

Mr. Albanzo pulls out a bagged lunch and begins munching on a sandwich. I pause mid-bite, caught off guard for a second, before it hits me just how awkward I must look. Quickly, I glance down at my own meal, trying to regain my focus.

"So, Abby Jezz, it looks like you have a very tactical taste in literature. That's good. Maybe you would be interested in being in my creative writing class? I see you got stuck with the ESP (Edukasyon sa pagkatao) subject, unless you love that class." He asked with a smile.

"Oh no, the class I wanted was already full," I said disappointedly. "I'm starting late in the semester."

"So, are you interested in switching to creative writing instead?" he asked.

"Absolutely! I love literature," I confirmed enthusiastically.

"Great, I'll take care of changing your schedule myself so you don't have to go through the office. Can you start tomorrow?" he added.

"Sure, that would be great,"

He went on to explain the creative writing curriculum, mentioning I could do the assignments for extra credit but wouldn't be graded unless I wanted them to count. He also said I would help grade assignments, make copies, and come up with writing prompts, which sounded amazing to me. I loved the idea. He asked me a few questions about the places I had traveled that I mentioned on my quiz, and told me a little about his own travels. The twins listened quietly, occasionally talking to each other but mostly leaving me and Mr. Albanzo to converse.

His voice was mesmerizing, just like his eyes. They drew me in irresistibly. I couldn't look away, as if an invisible force pulled me toward him. I noticed I had moved closer to where he sat at the next desk instead of behind the big one he started at.

We talked and laughed as if it were perfectly normal, until the bell rang and made me jump.

"I guess time's up," I blurted out. Why did everything out of my mouth sound so ridiculous? Once again, I felt a pang of loss as our conversation ended.

"You seemed sad when the bell rang," he said, a look of concern on his face. I hesitated, wanting to open up but feeling held back by some invisible force.

"I'm fine, just tired," I finally replied with a weak smile. "See you tomorrow."

He smiled back, though his eyes still held a glimmer of worry.

In the stillness of the night, I heard an ominous howl break the silence once more. A shudder rushed down my spine as a peculiar sensation overtook me.

Despite my best efforts to dismiss it as part of a dream, the tremor in my muscles and the ache deep within my bones told me otherwise. Something had happened, something real. The air inside my room felt too heavy, as if it were pressing me to move.

I slipped out quietly, careful not to wake my parents. The wooden floor groaned beneath my feet like it was warning me to stop, but I couldn’t. My heart thudded in rhythm with the whispering wind outside.

The moment I stepped beyond the threshold, the night air greeted me... cold, sharp, and electric, humming with an energy that didn’t belong to this world.

Drawn by instinct more than reason, I followed the pull through the tall grass and down the faint trail that led toward the forest.

Each step took me deeper into the shadows, where moonlight fractured through the trees like shards of broken glass. The forest felt alive, breathing softly in my ears, murmuring secrets I couldn’t yet understand.

Then it came... a scent so strange it made my pulse race. A blend of scent, and something wild. My senses sharpened, every nerves of mine is alert, and before I could question it, I heard it

“Abby Jezz... finally you came.”

The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It sounded human, but there was a growl lurking beneath it. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. The mist thickened, wrapping around my legs like the cold fingers of a ghost.

Out of the fog, two golden eyes blinked open, glowing with a light that pierced the darkness. The shape behind them was massive.. fur black as night, tipped with faint streaks of blue that shimmered under the moonlight. Its gaze locked onto mine, and the forest fell utterly silent.

"Abby Jezz... you are mine." a voices from the shadow. Confusingly, that voices is familiar, it's the voices of my teacher, Mr. Albanzo?

For a fleeting moment, I couldn’t move. The world around me froze... leaves suspended mid-fall, as if the wind holding its breath.

"Who are you?" I asked the shadow in the distance, that standing in human form. "What are you doing here?"